Brasília – On a visit to Brazil, United Arab Emirates International Cooperation minister of state Reem Al Hashimy (pictured above) spoke at the opening of the Economic Meeting Brazil-UAE that took place Thursday (15) in Brasília. Hashimy said the relations between the two countries are strategic and that her 52-member delegation, including businesspeople of leading industries from her country, is exploring the opportunities Brazil has to offer. She also said Brazil is seen as a leading country in climate policy and expects a broad participation of the Latin American country in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
Brazil and the UAE have strengthened diplomatic and trade ties and their relation is 50 years old. Hashimy said she expects the Mercosur-UAE free trade agreement to further widen the trade relations. “It’s important for us to continue cooperating in a multilateral manner,” said the minister. The Arab country doesn’t have an agreement yet with the bloc consisting of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Dubai, UAE, will host the COP28 from next November through December. “We count on partners like Brazil, which has a long record of credibility in supporting climate action and green funding strategies. I’d like to highlight the innovation of its small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in tech, all of which will positively impact the success of the COP28 but more importantly the results for the success of its region, which is led by Brazil,” she said.
Reem Al Hashimy also mentioned the COP30 to be hosted by Belém in Brazilian Northern state of Pará. “We’ll continue our ambitious actions following the COP28, and I hope our teams and private sectors can think on the COP in Dubai as a starting point for the COP30,” she said.
She highlighted the possibility of joint actions in climate funding, nature-based solutions, and energy transition focused on a fair process, besides mentioning the importance of Indigenous peoples and their healthcare.
“It’ll be a genuine South-South cooperation. These are the current priorities of COP28. Together with governments, the private sector will lead us there, and that depends on you, on your innovation, your pragmatism and practicality, and your purpose-oriented business, as companies now don’t think just on profit but on purpose,” she finished.
The Economic Meeting Brazil- UAE took place in the headquarters of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Brazil’s top industry lobby, and was held by the institution together with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). CNI chairman Robson Braga de Andrade also spoke at the opening session. He recalled the mission that the entity led to Expo 2020 Dubai in late 2021 in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).
“Some relevant partnerships were signed during that mission, leading to the expectation of boosting Brazilian exports by USD 67 million,” said Andrade.
The CNI’s president stressed the entity will coordinate a new Brazilian business mission to the Arab country. “This time to take part in the 28th UN Climate Change Conference to start in late November in Dubai.”
Andrade said the Brazilian industry is committed to reducing and neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions in order to contribute to the global effort of preventing the global warming. “At COP28 we intend to present successful projects in sustainability that may inspire plans of other companies for the environmental preservation and decarbonization of the economy,” he said.
ABCC president Osmar Chohfi mentioned the Arab bloc have widened their purchases from Brazilian markets since early 2023, and that the UAE alone bought USD 1.2 billion worth of goods year to date through May.
“This trade includes a wide variety of products, from foods, beverages, car parts, converting industry goods, and other items that made the UAE become the second-biggest Arab buyer from Brazil,” he said.
Chohfi said the ABCC is counting down for the COP28 in Dubai. “This event will certainly bring huge benefits for the global environmental policies, therefore opening doors for new areas of collaboration, research and investment,” he said.
The UAE’s ambassador to Brasília, Saleh Alsuwaidi, mentioned the historical visit of president Lula to the UAE last April and said he believes the strategic partnership between the two countries will expand. “I invite the Brazilian community to enjoy what the UAE has to offer,” he said.
Also in the event, COP28 director-general Majid Al Suwaidi participated in a panel on sustainability and COP28. He said he wants this to be an innovative COP, and that this cannot be achieved without including all stakeholders like the public and private sector, the youth, the NGO, the civil society, the Indigenous peoples, and others.
The director-general said the UAE has various successful public-private partnerships, which are key for achieving the goals of the COP of climate change mitigation, carbon emission reduction, loss and damage fund, adaptation, food and water security, and others. “We want to deliver a COP that makes us proud,” he finished.
The event also featured Davi Bomtempo, executive manager for Environment and Sustainability at the CNI; Fábio Galindo, CEO of the Future Carbon Group; Rodrigo Justus, Legal and Environmental consultant at the Brazilian Confederation of. Agriculture and Livestock (CNA); Fernanda Cândido Baltazar, Institutional Relations Director at the ABCC; Frederico Lamego, International Business superintendent at SENAI; Guilherme Bez Marques, International Institutional Relations t BRF; Christopher Moreland, senior director at Mubadala; João Paulo Paixão, director at Dubai Chamber in São Paulo; and Marcos Vale, Investment analyst at ApexBrasil. ABCC secretary-general & CEO Tamer Mansour and Foreign Affairs vice president attended.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
